Each year, the School of the Performing Arts offers various performing arts camps for children ages 4 – grade 8, where they learn social skills, collaborate and create dynamic performances.

Top Reasons to participate in a Performing Arts Camp
• Students will learn the basics of acting, scenic and prop design, costume creation, choreography, and dance.
• Students build confidence, self-awareness, public speaking, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Students get to work with award-winning Chicago and Chicagoland educators and artists.
• Students learn how to collaborate as a team.
• At the end of each camp, students get to perform for their families and friends on the Metropolis stage.

Scholarships
In order to ensure the inclusivity and accessibility of our Summer Camps, Metropolis School of the Performing Arts is pleased to offer a limited number of need-based scholarships.

We know our camps usually hit capacity, so 20% of slots will be held for scholarship recipients. Should the slots not be filled by scholarship recipients, they will be opened to the general public.

Scholarship applications are due January 31st. Recipients will be contacted in the following week.

APPLY HERE


SPRING BREAK CAMPS

Here Come the Grannies
Ages 4-5

Our youngest campers are going on a Bluey adventure this spring. The beloved animated series explores various themes that are relevant to young children and their families, including the importance of imagination, creativity, problem-solving, and social skills. The fun and dynamic tunes from the show are sure to put a smile on everyone’s face, especially when our adorable campers sing and dance for all to see!

March 25 – 29
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 12:00pm
Performance: Friday 3/29 at 12pm
Tuition: $235

We Don’t Talk About Bruno
Grades 1–3

Join us for the songs from the hit animated film, Encanto! With catchy tunes written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the overall charm and emotional resonance of the music is an integral part of the story. The songs enhance the storytelling and create a memorable musical experience for all. Students will sing and dance on the Metropolis stage to tell the Encanto story this spring.

March 25 – 29
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 12:00pm
Performance: Friday 3/29 at 12pm
Tuition: $235

Defying Gravity
Grades 4-8

The music of the wildly popular Broadway musical Wicked combines a variety of styles, from ballads to upbeat and whimsical numbers. Stephen Schwartz’s compositions contribute significantly to the emotional depth and narrative richness of the musical, making these songs a beloved and enduring part of the musical theater canon. Our Curtains Up! students are sure to “defy gravity” with their singing and dancing to the songs from Wicked on the final day of camp.

March 25 – 29
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 12:00pm
Performance: Friday 3/29 at 12pm
Tuition: $235

SUMMER BREAK CAMPS

*Enrollment based on the grade students will be entering in Fall 2024

Grumpy Dragons
by Brian Rathbone
Ages 4-5

Even dragons get grumpy. And grumbly, and grouchy, and sometimes gross. Our youngest performers are invited to join us in an exploration of emotion this summer; using their bodies, voices, and imaginations to share this timeless story on the Metropolis stage.

June 3 – 14
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 12:00pm
Performance: June 14 at 5:00pm
Tuition: $375

Kitchen Disco
by Clare Foges & Al Murphy
Ages 4-5

Do you ever hear strange noises at night? Chances are, it’s your fruits and veggies throwing a kitchen disco. This summer, you get to join them! We’ll work together to create a kooky and colorful kitchen disco on the Metropolis stage, complete with lots of music, dancing, and sparkles.

July 8 – 19
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 12:00pm
Performance: July 19 at 5:00pm
Tuition: $375

Winnie the Pooh’s Who Said, “Whoo”?
by Cheryl Berk
Ages 4-5

Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends are going for a nighttime adventure in the hundred-acre woods, and “whoo” knows what they might find! Campers will perform in this original show on the Metropolis stage after two weeks of learning about what wakes up in the forest when you are asleep in your bed.

July 22 – August 2
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 12:00pm
Performance: August 3 at 10:00am
Tuition: $375

Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn KIDS
Grades 1-3

Two siblings, Jack and Annie, return to visit the magic tree house. As they read a book about knights and the Middle Ages, Annie is intrigued by the Black Knight and the mysterious quest one must complete before becoming a knight. When she wishes to visit the castle in the book, the siblings are whisked away to medieval times. They set off to learn more about the Black Knight and his quest, experiencing a grand medieval feast, escaping through secret tunnels, and dancing with enchanted suits of armor, all to find their way back home.

June 3 – 21
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 12:30pm
Performance: June 21 at 5:30pm
Tuition: $575
Includes video

Lights Up Encore
Grades 1-3

Students are invited back to Metropolis for one more week in medieval times! Join us for scenes and songs from a variety of sources, as well as all of your favorite theater camp games, classes, and activities. It’s gonna be a royally good time!

June 24 – 28
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 12:30pm
Tuition: $275

Lights Up Warm Up
Grades 1-3

Are you ready for our journey into the Hundred-Acre Woods? This week of bonus fun will introduce students to the structure of Metropolis’ theatre camps in a low-stress environment perfect for newcomers. We’ll learn scenes and songs inspired by Winnie the Pooh and the gang, play some games, and have a grand old time!

July 8 – 12
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 12:30pm
Tuition: $275

Disney’s Winnie the Pooh KIDS
Grades 1-3

Welcome to the Hundred Acre Wood, where Winnie the Pooh is once again in search of honey. Along the way, he meets his pals, Tigger, Piglet, Rabbit, and Owl, but soon discovers that Christopher Robin has been captured by the mysterious Backson! As they prepare for a rescue operation, the animals learn about teamwork, friendship, and, of course… sharing snacks.

July 15 – August 2
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 12:30pm
Performance: August 3 at 12:00pm
Tuition: $575
Includes video

Monty Python’s Spamalot Young@Part®
Grades 4-8

Paying homage to the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, this middle school adaptation of Monty Python’s Spamalot retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. The outrageous, uproarious, and gloriously entertaining story will delight casts and audiences as they search for the Holy Grail and “always look on the bright side of life.”

June 3 – 21
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 3:30pm
Performance: June 21 at 3:30 & 7:00
Tuition: $825

Xanadu JR.
Grades 4-8

Xanadu JR. follows the journey of a magical and beautiful Greek muse, Kira, who descends from the heavens of Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time – the first Roller Disco. (Hey, it’s 1980!) But, when Kira falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation, and chaos abounds.

June 24 – July 19
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 3:30pm
Performance: July 20 at 10:00am & 12:00pm
Tuition: $825

NOTE: Curtains Up! will not be held July 1st-5th in observance of Independence Day.

Madagascar – A Musical Adventure JR.
Grades 4-8

Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo, and, of course, those hilarious, plotting penguins as they bound onto your stage in the musical adventure of a lifetime. Based on the smash DreamWorks animated motion picture, Madagascar – A Musical Adventure JR. follows all of your favorite crack-a-lackin’ friends as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar.

July 22 – August 9
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 3:30pm
Performance: August 10 at 10:00am & 12:00pm
Tuition: $825

Mean Girls High School Version
Grades 9-12

Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. How will this naïve newbie rise to the top of the popularity pecking order? By taking on The Plastics, a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady and her friends devise a “Revenge Party” to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.

Rehearsals in the evenings & weekends
July 8 – August 14
Performances:
August 15, 16, 17 at 7:00pm
August 17 & 18 at 2:00pm
Tuition: $500

Auditions: June 17 & 18, 2024
Callbacks: June 24, 2024

MUSIC THERAPY THEATRE CAMP

Music Therapy Theatre Camp
Grades 1-6 for students who benefit from extra support from a Board Certified Music Therapist

Musical Theatre for All: Fairy Tale Songs

Heroes? Dragons? Princesses? Mermaids? They’re all welcome as we explore musical theater together! We’ll learn songs and scenes, play theater games, and make music while enjoying the stories that we know and love.

Presented in conjunction with Metropolis School of Performing Arts, this camp is designed for students who benefit from extra support. Staffed by a Board Certified Music Therapist and theater camp counselors, special attention will be given to students’ sensory, communication, and emotional needs.

June 10 – 14
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 12:30pm
Tuition: $375


Camp Policies

PAYMENT

Payment is due at the time of registration in full.

We will only be accepting Visa, MasterCard or Discover payments for group classes at this time. Payments can be made online or over the phone.

REFUNDS

$40 of tuition is non-refundable from time of registration. No refunds will be made once camp begins.